MUTUAL MINISTRY: New Vitality for the Local Church

This book on the internal dynamics of the local (Protestant) church is by an Episcopal minister who has thought about his experience and his hopes--and talks well about them. Current group dynamics theory is in the background of his analysis. Not everything here is digested experience, perhaps, but if the book leans heavily on quotations from others, they make good reading. The author is fond of grids--nine signs of vitality in the local church, eight assumptions about the nature of conflict, and so on. There is real respect for people, nonetheless, and an aversion to manipulation. Special attention is given to the paid minister, but the author wants to see the laity as the church. Those who would like to hear personal convictions and needs related to the workings of the local body, and to the needs of a changing world, will find this a meaty and organized discussion.